Third Judicial District Court Judge Douglas Driggers sentenced Venegas-Quiñonez to seven years in prison for his role in the attack northwest of Las Cruces. Venegas-Quiñonez was convicted in early April of attempted murder as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

With the conviction, Venegas-Quiñonez, 35, had faced up to nine years in prison, though prosecutors requested Driggers consider seven as the penalty, per the plea agreement.

Hernandez also spoke during the proceeding, urging Driggers to give his attacker the maximum penalty possible.

Rehashing the attack

Thursday, Venegas-Quiñonez, via a Spanish interpreter, addressed Driggers before the sentencing, issuing an apology. But he also elaborated on the incident itself, claiming he'd tried to stop his counterpart, Fernando Puga, from striking Hernandez with the machete and was injured himself by Puga. Because he hasn't appeared on the witness stand previously, it was the first time Venegas-Quiñonez has spoken in court about the incident.

"I know that I am responsible, judge, sir, and I apologize," he said in the courtroom.

Venegas-Quiñonez rehashed the 2017 incident, noting how it started in Chaparral when Hernandez agreed to give him and Puga, who'd been stranded when their car broke down, a ride. He said they forced him to take them to Las Cruces and took away his cell phone.

The three eventually arrived in Hernandez's car at the Rio Grande.

"I pointed the BB gun at him and asked him to give us his wallet, as well," Venegas-Quiñonez said.

Prosecutors and Hernandez have said the gun had the look and feel of a real firearm. And Hernandez found out only later on that it was a BB gun.

'My face was full of blood'

Buy Photo

Sergio Ivan Venegas-Quiñonez, of Las Cruces, is led to a lectern on Thursday, May 2, 2019, in 3rd Judicial District Court. Venegas-Quiñonez was sentenced in a 2017 attack on a Chaparral man who was an off-duty Border Patrol agent.(Photo: Diana Alba Soular/Sun-News)

Venegas-Quiñonez said Hernandez then attacked him, grabbing the gun and trying to fire it at him. But the gun didn't fire. The two started fighting and Venegas-Quiñonez said he fell. When he got up, he said, he saw Puga attacking Hernadez with a machete. Hernandez, he said, was screaming at him "asking me to help."

"At that time, I ran and tried to stop him (Puga), but he did not want to," Venegas-Quiñonez said.

Then, Venegas-Quiñonez said, Puga stuck him on the head with the machete, and "I left the scene very frightened. My face was full of blood."

Venegas-Quiñonez said with the whole incident, "I didn't know that the consequences were going to reach such a serious level." He asked Driggers for a more lenient sentence of five years in prison.

Hernandez countered, saying Venegas-Quiñonez had "tried to attack me just as much as the other man." Rather than coming to Hernandez's aid, Venegas-Quiñonez had put Hernandez in a chokehold, Hernandez said.

'My scars will last for life'

Buy Photo

Lorenzo Hernandez, who was viciously attacked with a machete in 2017, asks 3rd Judicial District Court Judge Doug Driggers on Thursday, May 2, 2019, for a tougher penalty for Sergio Ivan Venegas-Quiñonez, one of two men accused in the attack.(Photo: Diana Alba Soular/Sun-News)

In the courtroom Thursday, Hernandez said he'd prefer a life sentence for Venegas-Quiñonez, although that wasn't possible under the penalty associated with the conviction.

"These scars will never go away," he said, gesturing with his hands. "He's asking for five years. My scars will last for life."

Two of Hernandez's fingers were partially severed in the attack. In Puga's trial, his family described the severe injuries Hernandez had sustained, how he lost the use of his arms and hands for months, and how he'd undergone multiple surgeries as a result of the attack. In addition, Hernandez and his family said there was a huge emotional toll as a result of the crime.

Hernandez's girlfriend, Valeria Melendez, also addressed Driggers on Thursday, describing how their family has suffered in many ways because of the attack on Hernandez.

"Life in prison would only be fair for this man — for the damage he has caused," she said, crying.

Venegas-Quiñonez's girlfriend also spoke, saying her son has ADHD and bipolar disorder and has been missing his father. Because of that, the son's having outbursts of anger and getting in trouble at school, she said.

"I'm here because Ivan has been a good father for my children," she said. "He's never failed to do his work or his job. He's always taken care of the family."

'They left Mr. Hernandez for dead'

Third Judicial District Attorney's Office prosecutor Daniel Sewell asked Driggers to issue the seven-year sentence recommended in the plea agreement.

"They left Mr. Hernandez for dead, and he barely survived, your honor," he said.